Wings of Fire: The Turning Tides (The Turning Tides, book 2)
by acornerika
Summary: Sequel to Missed. In hiding, Auklet will do anything to have her throne back and get revenge. But in her heart, she does have kindness, rescuing a deadly dragon key to getting her desires. With Turtle at the back of her mind, two special dragonets and a bunch of renegade seawings at her command, Auklet will help shape Pyrrhia for the future yet to come.
1. Prologue

**The Turning Tides Prophecy**

Beware the dragons made of ice and silver.

Beware the claws of fire and night,

descended upon those who survive

the battle of the turning tides.

Watch the mountains,

the sea,

the sky,

for the young to wonder,

and those to die.

Forget those that are missed,

for those who fall through the mud

have a deadly wish.

An aurora,

a cold north,

and the vast sea.

Explored and be,

the darkest depths,

one will rise and heal the rest,

as slow and weary and wise is best.

For the world to fall to fire and water,

and freeze over;

show your spirit,

your kind,

your courage,

or all will fall to carnage.

* * *

In the rainforest, fire was the most dangerous weapon. All it took was a spark - a small kindling to unleash the deadliest of flames. Where homes in the trees once existed, there would be ash and smoke where dragons would flee and die.

Gelid understood perfectly how dangerous fire was. A friend had been permanently disfigured right beside her, one of two dragons she loved the most had a burn on his face, and she herself had been burnt. But her fear of fire grew more the longer she lived in the rainforest and it didn't help that a tribe of fire-breathing dragons lived in it, too.

And today? She would be liable for it.

When a dragonet was set afire in her class, Gelid saw her world spin and stare at the events that lead to this.

When Queen Firefly asked her to teach a nightwing class about icewing techniques, at first she was anxious but ultimately understood why the rainwing queen called upon her for this. Gelid only had to recall the rainwing and nightwing bodies she saw on the beach almost four years ago to fathom the need to build their skills as warriors and as an entire kingdom.

So Gelid couldn't say no. If it could save a dragon's life, then of course she'd help.

She said to herself that she'd help save lives. When she first saw the young eager faces of young dragonets, she had hope for them but she turned her face away for a moment. That moment was enough for two dragonets to quarrel and shoot fire high into the treetops. A branch above was struck and set on fire; and no one noticed it. Not even Gelid noticed it - the sound was crackling heat was put off when she and another rainwing teacher raced to scorn the dragonets.

"STOP!"

Gelid heard it at the last moment. A branch above cracked and started its descent. Fire swallowed its bark and shot for the fresh bundle of leaves at the end of the branch.

She froze, watching mousily.

It landed with a crash and a crackle, enveloping a dark red shape. Screams echoed throughout the forest and when she realised that the branch fell on a dragonet, it was too late, fire piled and blazed.

Or so it seemed.

Biting her nerves, she lurched forward, inhaling both smoke and air to prepare for a frost breath. She couldn't save the dragonet now but she could stop the fire from spreading.

Just as she was about to breath ice, a head and a pair of talons burst from the fire towards her.

"Help me!" Yelled the shape.

"What in the-" Gelid stepped back in a hurry, feeling her lungs reach for a breath.

It was the dragonet that was engulfed by the fire...but he was fine. Or at least he looked fine.

His dark crimson scales glowed as if he were still on fire and orange embers lined his grey underscales all the way to his tail. Smoke rose from his wings as he turned them over, where orange veins shone through the membranes.

Moss burned and shrivelled under his talons, leaving black marks around his talons and where his tail brushed the ground. Gelid stepped back once more.

Gelid wouldn't have believed it if she wasn't sure but from all the scrolls she'd read.

_Firescales._

He turned to stare at her, as though he thought the same thing.

"Back!" ordered the dark mauve rainwing, spreading a wing in front of Gelid and swatting her backwards. "Everyone back!" She ordered, gazing over the other dragons.

"I can help," Gelid said, unsure what she'd do to help but anything was better than nothing. "I can-"

"You've done enough," said the rainwing. She waved to the treetops and rainwings appeared out of nowhere, watching in the branches above. Two came down. "Get me Goshawk. She's an orange skywing, you can't miss her. You, tell Diamondclaws that I need to see her as soon as possible." She pointed to a rainwing and then to the other. The two took off into the trees.

Now Gelid knew exactly what it was like to be brushed off, helpless and unworthy to help. It was her fault.

"Madam Rose?" Asked the firescales' dragonet to the rainwing that bossed Gelid. "Is something going to happen to me?"

"Oh, sweetie," Madam Rose said, in a way that sounded like "You have no idea". "Just stay there for me, please," She said instead.

The dragonet whimpered, sat and curled his tail around his talons.

A sheet of green leaves suddenly plummeted from above, blanketing the fire behind the dragonet. Smoke rose in a puff.

Gelid couldn't help but feel sorry for him. _What would I do if he was my dragonet? What if something happened to Climate? Moons, I wouldn't know what to do._

There wasn't anything for Gelid to do so she gathered the other frightened dragonets, including the two that started the fire. She told them to stay put until Madam Rose gave them something to do.

She circled back to check on the firescales' dragonet in case anything else had happened but all she saw was the dragonet trembling and Madam Rose waiting patiently near him, eying him as if he was about to take-off to set a bush on fire.

_What will happen to him? If they think...no, Queen Firefly wouldn't allow that. Would she? Would she let an innocent dragonet die because he's a little different?_

Gelid brushed the thought off, shaking her head.

She spread her wings and turned herself in the direction of the palace, just about to take off when the sight of a small pale-coloured dragonet next to her feet made her flinch.

The dragonet squealed a sound that hurt Gelid's ears.

"Pretty dragons!" Said the dragonet in a high pitch voice.

Gelid stepped back, observing the young dragon. The dragonet looked like a rainwing but her head and neck was thick with spiky scales. Her horns were small, curved icicles and a line of thin spikes went down her back. Apart from some golden scales under her black beady eyes and a line under her wings, she looked almost like a pure-white icewing. But perhaps she turned that colour because she saw Gelid.

"You look like me!" Said the dragonet to Gelid with gleaming eyes. She had a narrow face for an icewing. "And they look a bit like Mother!" She squealed again, this time, at Madam Rose who didn't hear her.

"SILVER!" Boomed a voice that rattled the branches and trees.

Gelid felt her scales stand up as she scanned the trees, trying to figure out why that voice sounded so familiar.

Silver ducked down, perturbed, watching the trees where the voice came from.

Between a set of trees, a large lavender and pale blue shape flapped through the air.

"WHAT DO I ALWAYS SAY TO YOU?"

Mist - Queen Mist descended down gracefully, landing a wing length from Gelid. She glared at Silver, who was squirming and wrapped her tail around a hind leg.

Squinting, Gelid saw another small icewing beside Queen Mist. He looked like Silver but his wings were thin and his underscales were the colour of the sky.

"Well? Do you have an answer for me?" Queen Mist interrogated.

Silver looked at her talons and folded her wings close. "Not to go flying off without permission," she said in a low tone.

Gelid felt pity for the dragonet. She definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of such a glare and tone.

_Almost reminds me of my mother. Almost._

"That's right. Now what did you just do?"

"I flew off without permission. But I had a good reason! I-"

Queen Mist interrupted. "What else do I say to you?" She asked, agitated.

"Not to talk back," Silver sighed. "But-"

"No buts. Go to your father. I can't deal with you right now," Queen Mist ordered. She watched closely as Silver walked carefully by her and then towards Pale, who was beside a tree well behind her.

"Yes, yes, always listen to Mother," said the male dragonet closer to Queen Mist. "She_ is_ the queen." There was something in his tone that didn't sound like teasing. No, more like he detested Silver but perhaps that was just Gelid's imagination.

"You too," Queen Mist said to the dragonet in a calmer tone of voice.

The dragonet nodded obediently. "Yes, Mother." And he walked with his chin in the air and graceful steps towards Pale.

Queen Mist sighed, eyes closing for a moment before finally reaching Gelid. She stepped closer beside her.

"Who are the little ones?" Gelid finally asked, nodding towards the dragonets and Pale. She had a guess but didn't want to say.

"My dragonets," She answered. _I knew it_. "Princess Silver and Prince Brinicle," she introduced, pointing at Silver and then the male dragonet.

"They seem like a handful." _I wonder if Climate would be like them if we raised him in the rankings. It would be the proper way to raise him...but something about that doesn't seem right. I was born into the rankings but Swan wasn't, he wouldn't have a clue about it._

Queen Mist clicked her teeth, sending an unnatural shiver down Gelid's spine, for some reason. "Silver is. Brinicle...not so much," she said slowly. "She's too rebellious. She doesn't listen to me. She's another kingdom to deal with."

"I understand. Raising a princess wouldn't be easy, especially knowing that she...um, well, might be hostile in the future."

"Pale makes it easier. Besides me, he has the highest rank in the kingdom."

"He deserves it," Gelid agreed. "How old are they now?"

"A little more than a year and a half. Brinicle is a week older than Silver, which is probably why he's the better one."

"Don't say that!" Gelid contested. "They're young. They'll learn."

"I hope so, for someone's sake," said the icewing queen. "You know, you sound like Blizzard. I've been thinking about her lately often."

"Something she said in particular?"

"More like _everything_ she's said about me. She always said I'd be a good queen. I wasn't sure at first and I'm no-more convinced now."

"Well, the kingdom isn't on fire, I take with proof," added Gelid. "I'd say you're doing a good job."

"Speaking of the kingdom, when do you plan on coming back? You do plan on coming back, don't you? I could always use another trustworthy dragon beside me," Said Queen Mist. "Or an adequate bodyguard if I feel the need."

Gelid ran a talon over her brow, furrowing at a thought. "I don't know. I said I might come back and you said I was always welcome but I never promised it. Climate's almost a year old now but to put him in the rankings so late...it wouldn't be fair."

"On the other dragonets?"

"On him. Him and Swan. Swan always said he was related to an icewing but it might not be enough to get him over the Wall. And besides, where would he fit in the rankings?"

"I see you've accumulated thought about this. Apologies."

"Don't be, don't be," Gelid assured. "So why are you here? Are you here to discuss the training initiative with Queen Firefly?"

"That and to introduce her to Silver and Brinicle. As our most trusted allies, I only hope to keep that relationship."

"And the furthest allies you can get."

Queen Mist gave a short, low chuckle. "Indeed. But I was also hoping to catch a show from Swan. He only did one not long ago, from what I've heard."

"I'm afraid you're gonna miss out. Swan's last show for the year is going to be in Riverwatch. We plan to head there next month."

* * *

While Gelid and Queen Mist conversed, Silver couldn't help but feel the conversation was about her.

It wasn't a mystery that Queen Mist frowned upon one of her dragonets. It also wasn't a mystery that that dragonet happened to be Silver.

Silver always heard everything Mother said. Everything. And it always hurt her that Mother said those things. She was just being...what was the word again? The word meaning the urge to look at new things...

Curious!

Silver was just being curious. What was wrong with that?

It wasn't everyday she came to the rainforest. It was so pretty! There were colours here she didn't know existed. Animals she didn't know existed. Beautiful dragons she never thought could exist.

If she was going to be queen one day then she was going to be the friendliest queen! The best one! The best one before Mother of course. Mother was a good queen.

Why not start being friends now? She wanted to know all the pretty dragons. She wanted to know all about them so when she was queen, they were going to be her greatest friends!

No one would ever pick on beautiful dragons like them.

"Mother's angry at you." Brinicle poked her shoulder and he smirked.

She didn't like Brinicle. He was always following Mother, always beside her unless she ordered him away. He always did what he was told to do and he had a perfect rank that never moved down, only up, unlike hers.

There was a way he always had his chin in the air, like there was a snowflake on the tip of his nose that he wanted to look at. And he usually always did it around Silver.

Silver never did anything like that. She wanted to look at a dragon face-to-face. Eyes-to-eyes.

"So what? She's always mad at me," Silver said.

"Don't say that," Father said. He was the one that never said awful things about her.

"It's true. Mother expects the best from us, especially me because I'm her favourite," Brinicle added.

Most of the time, Silver had to resist the urge to slap him and poke his eyes.

"Your mother doesn't have favourites. Neither do I. I think you're both fantastic dragonets with promising futuress ahead of yourselves," Father said brightly.

Brinicle snorted. He didn't say it but he didn't need to. _I'm Mother and Father's favourite. Don't you forget it. Ever, my little sister. Never ever forever._

There was no way she could argue against that. She knew he was the perfect dragonet but she had one argument in her mind that she wanted to save up. She was the icewing princess. Brinicle was a prince. Princes never got the throne. She was going to. One day she'd challenge Mother and win.

Then and only then, would she finally get the satisfaction. She might not be perfect like Mother and Father wanted but being queen meant that imperfections were irrelevant.

"What are we doing?" Brinicle asked Father.

Father looked at Mother and the other icewing with grey and blue scales. "Waiting for your Mother. She's catching up with an old friend. Then we'll go introduce you two to the queen of the rainforest."

"Queen of the rainforest?" Silver gasped. She imagined the most beautiful dragon in the world. She was going to friends with her, then all the pretty dragons and then the whole continent. "Yay!"

"It's not the queen of ice. Mother will always be the best," Brinicle said to Silver.

"I know that but it's still exciting," Silver responded. Brinicle rolled his eyes. "I'm just so excited to be here. Everything is so much better than I ever thought. Just - just smell the air." Silver took a deep breath in.

"Ugh, smells like mud and rot," said Brinicle.

Silver sighed as she released her breath. He was right, again. _But the ice kingdom doesn't smell like mud and rot. Why can't you be happy experiencing new things?_

"I just see a bright new day. Come on, you lumpy sea lion." She nudged Brinicle, who hissed back. "We should be happy to be here."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the sky kingdom, anger festered in the heart of a skywing.

"Give that scroll to me," General Gale ordered.

The young pale red skywing at the doorway looked conflicted, glancing at him and at the satchel around her neck.

"Sorry, Sir, I have orders to bring this to-"

"To Prince Cliff, I know. I'm not changing anything. I simply want to go over it. I'll return it to you briefly and you can go on your way and complete your job," he insisted.

The messenger looked more convinced by then. She unlatched the satchel, then stared at the scroll stuffed into it.

"Give it 'ere," he then pressed, hiding hints of impatience under his teeth.

The messenger cautiously stepped toward his rock slate of a table and placed the scroll carefully, stepping back afterwards.

Gale unfurled the scroll, careful to not make any tears with his metal claws.

The words were a blur at first and light from the surrounding torches around him glared into his vision. He had to stare for some time for his eyes to finally read the words but even then, the black ink looked more like snakes than actual words.

There was needless information that a freshly hatched dragonet could've anticipated.

_Hideout in the mountains...Five known accomplices...Highly dangerous...Do not approach alone..._

When he was done, he rolled it back up and passed it to the messenger who then returned it to the satchel.

"When you see Prince Cliff, tell him that I'm on it."

"Uh, Sir?" Asked the messenger, her tone confused.

"Tell him that I'll find Auklet. Consider it a personal goal to find the...dreadful worm. I'll sniff her out and bring her to justice," Gale said firmly.

"But Sir, Prince Cliff already has sent search parties everywhere. I'm sure he'll find her."

"He's sending skywings that barely know where or what to look at. Whereas I know some dragons who can do some infallible work."

"But Prince Cliff has been running this for months."

"Aren't you just a messenger?"

"I - um, yes but-"

He shook a talon at her. "Then tell him about my proposition. He'll consider it, if not, even accept it," said Gale. "Go now, time is at the haste and the longer we all wait, the longer a fiend like Auklet is free in the world."

"Yes, Sir." The messenger stepped back but paused at the doorway. "Oh, how are the eyes, Sir?"

"My eyes? Uh, hem, yes, my eyes are fine." He cleared his throat. "Leave me now."

The messenger turned right out his room.

Not long ago, Gale's eyes had been infected. He wished he could've blamed the illness at the fault of the seawing he saw but alas, that was not true. He scratched himself with a claw near the eye and the very next day, his eyes were burning. For two weeks the infection stood and the skywing doctors did nothing to aid him.

Gale even resorted to clawing his eyes out (there are very visible scars across his eyes) but was stopped at the last moment when a rainwing doctor consulted him. Not long after, the infection was gone and his eyes, though permanently blurry, were usable once more.

His metal claws were the fault of this.

You see, when Gale was born, he hatched without any claws or horns. His father, who once specialised in smithing, had forged him metal claws, giving him the opportunity to claw through the ranks and become the dragon he was then. A general

He had his father to thank for that.

_Except now,_ Gale thought. _He's dead._

_I knew bringing him into that battle would be the end of him but I didn't think literally. Perhaps I was too lenient, thinking he could deal with anything himself. Little did either of us know just how dangerous seawings are._

_Auklet's dangerous._

_If it wasn't for her then you'd still be alive._

_I'll avenge you. I'll bring that monster into justice._

_No._

_I'll be the one to kill her._


	2. Chapter 1

The day Auklet decided to become queen of the seawings was also the day Turtle said he'd leave.

A part of Auklet thought it was her that made him leave because he was the first dragon who found out about her desire to become queen. But that was not the case.

Back when the Paradise Palace was only half built Queen Coral still invited queens and important members from other tribes to dinner or even a party. Auklet attended one such party and then convinced herself that she'd rather eat a whole, living octopus than to attend another party. This time, however, was not a party. It was an important meeting between Queen Coral and the mudwing queen, Ibis.

Which was why Auklet had no inclination to come, that was, until Turtle convinced her. Out of the thirty-something older brothers she had, Turtle was always there when Auklet needed a wing to listen to, or when she couldn't fall asleep and he'd tell her stories - both real and made up. Especially her favourite story about a heroic dragon and her trusty sidekick that saved the world from a tyrannical king.

Though, Auklet only thought Turtle just wanted some company that didn't pester him constantly. He usually joined such meetings to document them and add them to a growing library of "Affairs of the Royal Seawings" for non-royal dragons to read. Surprisingly, it was quite popular.

The diplomacy floor was the third floor in the palace and was completed at the time. Queen Coral and Queen Ibis sat opposite a long table with members of both tribes on one side, respectively. Apart from Turtle, three of Auklet's brothers had also come as they were members on Mother's council.

Auklet sat in the middle of all the seawing members, next to Turtle and opposite to both of Queen Ibis's daughters - a pair of dragons that Auklet had the rare sight of seeing. (In fact, it was the only and last time she'd see the pair together, for not a year after the meeting, Princess Banksia had attempted to fight Queen Ibis for the throne but lost and died.)

Princess Banksia had pale brown and dry muddy, sandy scales, and in comparison to Princess Willow, who had paler scales, was bigger than her little sister. They whispered to each other eerily with low heads and voices, and when they didn't, their eyes darted all around the interior walls.

Auklet tried to sample their attention once but received a quick, empty glare.

_Well_, Auklet thought with a sting of frustration. _I tried to make conversation._

The discussion was led by the queens and handled by dragons Auklet didn't know the names of, so Auklet was devoid of any engagement.

As far as she was concerned, the discussion was about an alliance, which was an odd thing to propose but mostly Auklet didn't listen because her mind screamed: _BORED._

_This is the last time I come here. Not even Turtle can convince me next time._

Turtle, who sat next to her, had his face stuck into a scroll with black dripping claws as he wrote. When Auklet leaned to peer over his shoulder, he simply tilted forward, blocking her view and Auklet went back to staring at the ceiling.

_If I was queen I wouldn't waste my time with these meetings. I'd be in my kingdom doing what's needed of me._

_I wish Coast would come too, even if he's not apart of Mother's Council. I'd have someone to talk to at least_. She thought, giving another glance at Turtle.

Her thought relapsed. _That's not a bad idea, actually. If only I was queen. Could I become queen? Am I strong enough?_

_Turtle would know._

"Do you think I could be queen one day?" She asked Turtle.

Turtle gave a muffled "Mmhmm." but in a way that didn't sound like he was paying attention, but for some reason it wasn't something Auklet noticed at the time.

"Do you really think so?" She asked again, more eager this time.

"Yep, yep. Mmhm."

Auklet wasn't sure how she was convinced so easily but she was. _One day, she decreed, I'll surpass mother and become queen of the seawings. One day..._

Ambition surged through her wings for a moment, enough to make her shuffle her position, posed as if she was already sitting on a throne worthy of herself.

The remainder of the discussion flew by as Auklet thought of everything she'd accomplish as queen - when that day came.

The discussion came to some kind of conclusion that Auklet didn't notice until every dragon rose from their seats and sauntered over to tables full of food. Fish - both cooked and raw wafted into her nose and she went to get some. Turtle didn't sway from his scroll as dragons ate and served themselves a bite. So Auklet snatched a silver and green cod from the table and brought to him.

Turtle replied with a thanks and ate hastily as to not disturb him too much.

Auklet became curious at that point. Turtle usually wrote as dragons talked, not long after it ended and idle chatter accompanied the space.

"What are you writing?" Auklet asked him.

"Something special," he replied, spitting a fish scale from his teeth in the other direction. "I'm going to show everyone soon." His neck lifted up and he took a glance behind Auklet. "Uh, when everyone's done eating of course." He said passively.

"Show it? Show what?" Auklet demanded in a softer voice.

She received no reply as Turtle became enthralled in his scroll.

Auklet went over to the food table to talk to Fin, a brother older than both Auklet and Turtle, waiting for Turtle's alleged surprise.

Then Turtle announced it. He spun around and marched towards Queen Coral with a promising grin on his snout.

Vaguely, Auklet was able to hear what he said to her.

"Mother, may I make a quick announcement?" Turtle asked.

When Queen Coral nodded, Turtle made no hesitation to step back from the group of dragons and spread his wings.

"To Coral, my Mother, fellow seawings and also to our guests, Queen Ibis and her mudwings here today. I have an announcement!" Turtle said.

"Oh, what's he doing?" Fin asked, his eyes set on Turtle.

Auklet watched the other dragons turn their heads towards Turtle, their murmurs quiet and inquisitive. "I don't know. He just said it's a surprise."

"For a long time I have helped and documented our life in Pyrrhia, making information accessible to dragons of all tribes and ages." He said with a nod to Coral, who smiled back. "This may not be exciting for other tribes but for seawings, our ocean home is teeming with life and mystery. Brave seawings have ventured out as far as they could before returning home, or sometimes worse - not at all. Because of this our home is largely unexplored.

"I have sent myself and other seawings to explore beyond our borders and recently, we have discovered a trench far to the north-east. Vast, unexplored and deep, and we also think its currents may lead us to new waters, new islands and possibly new life that's never been seen before."

Dragons ooo'd at his words. Even Auklet couldn't help but become curious.

_What would they find? What if I could come? That would be amazing, to see life what hadn't been seen before. And if seawings were the first to discover that then we'd be the exploration capitol of Pyrrhia. But..._

Then her jaw tensed, her smile turning into a senseless frown. _But why didn't he tell me? I thought we told each other everything? Whenever he came back from an adventure, he'd tell me everything._

"...But explorations like this aren't easy and coming home and going out again and again wouldn't get us anywhere," He said, then gave a sigh. "Which is why I'm leaving."

"What!?" Auklet gasped but her voice didn't throw itself like she wanted. Dragons talked amongst each other.

"I guess you heard it here first," Fin muttered.

Turtle continued, despite the chatter. "I'm leaving with a select team. I've spent months planning this expedition and its something we've all agreed on. I'm leaving in four moons."

Auklet jumped forward just so Turtle could see her. "How long will you be gone for?"

Turtle shot her a puzzled look, his head low. "That's...hard to say. Years, decades maybe."

That day left Auklet bitter and she didn't say a word to Turtle until the day she said her goodbyes to him, which, in retrospect, was very immature of her. She should've congratulated him for doing something never done before and to do it so brazenly. Not long after Turtle and his team set out, the seawings returned one by one for they were either homesick or too scared, or both. It didn't take long for Turtle to be left by himself, determined to carry out the exploration by himself.

Things had changed since he left; Auklet trained to become queen and succeeded; queens of other tribes came and went; towns grew and prospered; even a whole new war raged on and disappeared within a few years.

New magic was created in the form of Conveyance Mirrors enchanted by her sister, Anemone - much to Auklet's dismay but even she had to admit that the Mirrors were far more than useful.

Unfortunately, the Mirrors were enchanted long after Turtle left and with no one to bring one to him Auklet had no way to communicate with him.

Which meant Auklet lived for decades without speaking to him. She had to go through everything without him. Becoming queen - formulating the Talons of Power and her desire to be the best and never forgotten - to being on trial for a crime she never committed - to hiding out in the mountains where no one could find her.

_Oh Turtle, I wish you were here to help me. _

_I was queen. The throne is mine but it was taken from me. The most dangerous dragon in Pyrrhia is on it. You could help me get back what's rightfully mine._

_Or perhaps another way out of this._

Auklet watched as steam rose from the surface of the rippling water, settling herself in the deepest part of the hotspring where her snout was just above the water. She watched the mountains sleepily.

_Oh Turtle. _

_I was meant to be remembered as a hero, like them. If I couldn't be the best warrior or a dragon with magic then I'd be the greatest leader of warriors. I'd be a dragon stronger than magic. _

_If I couldn't unify the tribes as Pyrrhia's Queen then I'd rule it as one. My Talons of Power was perfect and formidable. I even had an animus of my own._

_That was until North's insufferable daughter tagged along like a beached whale. That was until she and her weird grey friend ruined everything. EVERYTHING!_

With a burst of rage, she smacked the water with her front talons, sending miniature waves to crash at the edges and water to drip over dry rock.

Anger seethed through her teeth as she looked to the distant mountains.

Over the period of time it took to walk to the hotspring, the sky fell cloudy. Thick fog swirled around the mountains, descending from the peaks and consuming the valleys between them.

Auklet thought she would've been fine. She'd been the hotspring so many times that the path could've been treaded with her eyes closed.

The hotspring was her second home away from the mountain base. It was the best place to go to when she needed to think or to relax her muscles.

Light flashed far to the right of the valley and soon a strike of thunder rumbled through the mountains. A droplet landed on her nose and soon a hiss of rain fell, entrenching the valley in a rainstorm.

Auklet grumbled. She only wished the hotspring was in a cave with a ceiling to protect her from the rain.

_I should get back before the rains fall too heavily. _

She dragged herself from the water, one leg after the other but then her hind right foot was still submerged in water. Her knees didn't bend fully so when she took another step, her foot smacked into the edge of the pool and she fell forward flat on her snout.

A curse trembled through her teeth. "Oh teeth and talons! Turtle curse this! My leg!" Auklet rose to her feet, looking back at her foot and took it carefully from the pool of water. A long scar pathed deeply from her hind leg all the way to the middle of her body. "I hate skywings! And icewings! The lot of them!"

When Auklet was rescued and attempted to flee with her entourage of seawings many years ago, skywing soldiers fought them. It was a skywing that killed Hadal - a loyal subject of hers. And it was a skywing that attacked Auklet, wounding her leg and disfiguring her with a scar that hindered even the easiest of movements. Thankfully it was also her that killed the skywing and got revenge, but looking at it now, she only wished she could do it again.

One talon in front of the other, Auklet slowly made her way back. The fog hid the ground, almost tempting her to veer off her path but she resisted it. She jumped down a winding path down and marched through a natural cave tunnel that opened to the side of the mountain. She hugged the right, grievously hoping her scarred leg wouldn't limp behind and cause her to fall into a cloudy abyss.

Rain ran down the sheer cliff face beside her but the rock underneath was not clay or dirt but hard rock and granite.

Pebbles and then rocks dropped from the mountain in front of her and she froze, waiting, her ears alert for the sound of moving mud and smashing rocks. The downpour grew. Rain turned into tiny spears of water and drenched her scales. Her tail started to sag off the edge but she kept it still on the path as much as she could.

When nothing came from the mountain, Auklet continued on her path after a quick glance below.

_I wish I was home, _stemmed her thoughts._ I miss the ocean. I can deal with dangerous currents and monsoons. She looked to the grey sky. Better than this._

_The ocean is my home. I am the queen of the sea. I have to get it back. But Anemone would kill me with a thought like I know animuses can, which is why I wonder she hasn't already._

_Maybe she thinks I'm dead. Maybe that's for the best. Better she wakes up with my claws at her throat than hers on mine._

The fog started to thin. _Odd_, she thought, glancing to the sky. _It's still raining. Perhaps there another thermal vent here, or whatever it was Bluefin called them. I never noticed it before._

She drew herself closer to the mountain, her eyes scanning for something in the distant haze. There. A small hole in the rock. Water poured down it, gurgling and dripping.

_Not far now. Just a left and I'll be-_

Auklet paused herself at the sight of a small, hazy figure in the thin fog. Air cleared around her as the figure slowly approached her.

_What is that?_ She readied herself, jaw tense and ready to snarl. Her legs spaced, ready to leap for the first-move advantage.

A dragonet appeared in front of her. His head was low, crimson neck curled and grey wings folded closely to his body. He hid his talons close together as if he were standing on a very thin spire or a rock about to fall. The dragonet trembled, then finally she met his golden eyes.

"Oh my," Auklet felt herself relax but then a pressing thought cascaded her mind._ Is this a trap?_ She looked the sky, anticipating an army of hostile dragons to swoop down and attack her. Nothing came. "What are you doing all the way out here?" She asked him with the softest voice she could muster.

"L-lost," sniffled the dragonet, his eyes darted at her and the ground. "I'm lost."

"Poor dragonet." _What idiot in their right mind would lose a dragonet? Are dragons now so simple-minded that they not care for Pyrrhia's future? Well I can't just leave him out here. I wonder... _"Where are your parents? Do you have a guardian at least?"

He shook his head. Auklet felt unsure at the lack of a clear answer. Had his parents abandoned him to a gruesome fate in the mountains in the middle of nowhere?

"How could they do such a thing?" She muttered. "Come with me," she said to him. He stopped trembling for a moment, his eyes looking at her with a hint of hope - something she hadn't seen in a while. "There's somewhere you can stay, if you want. Shelter. Food. I can keep you safe." She promised him.

He nodded eagerly and Auklet couldn't help but feel a small glittering pearl in her heart. She smiled. She spread a wing over him to shelter him from the rain and nodded down into the distant fog, down the mountain. She felt a warm aura around him.

"This way," she said. "You can call me Auklet."

The dragonet walked with her under her wing, looking relieved.

"My name's Highsky but everyone calls me Sky. I don't mind if you want to call me that."

Auklet nodded to him. _He's a particularly odd skywing but the best always are._

Closer down to the valley and the shallow river bed was a cleared slope next to a small waterfall. A small patch of short green bushes grew outwards close to the waterfall, shielding any secret in the mountain to obscurity.

Auklet pushed past a bush, stopping the hardy branches from hitting the small dragonet, but Sky spaced himself anyway. A curved boulder stuck out against the flat mountain side. Claws marks signaled that Auklet was at the right place.

"Stay here," she told Sky. She limbered over to the side of the boulder closest to the waterfall, feeling droplets of roaring water hit her tail. Ignoring it, she set her shoulder against the boulder and pushed. Auklet was careful not to push too hard for the dirt and rain was a perpetual slide for the boulder to run with.

A hole in the mountain appeared. Auklet stepped in, remembering to wave to Sky to welcome him inside and he shambled inside. Beside her, Sky looked shy and small and he quickly darted away from her.

_Hmm._

"Oh, hello, your majesty," said a calm voice from the other side.

Auklet squinted to the darker lights of the cave. Of course, for a home for seawings there were no torches, only light bulbs to provide light, grown from a sapling she'd taken from the rainforest.

A yellow light bulb was dug into a wall, lighting up Bluefin's curious face. For a moment she thought it was Yellowfin, his brother and twin, but Bluefin had darker blue scales and silvery underscales. Also, Yellowfin had strange yellow coloured scales speckled throughout his body, which Auklet didn't see.

"I heard the rain. I was about to go looking for you, or maybe send my brother to go find you," Bluefin said. He laid on his stomach, his talons atop ripped parchments of paper from a scroll.

"I'm fine. Rain is nothing," Auklet said to him.

"Who's the - oh no!" A gush of wind twirled into the cave. Auklet felt the cold breeze breath all over her scales. Pieces of paper spiralled into the air and Bluefin leapt to catch them.

Auklet stepped closer to the wall, away from Bluefin as he struggled to catch the paper.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!" boomed a voice, echoing from a corridor next to Auklet.

_Yellowfin._ Auklet recognised. _It was only a matter of time. I hope he doesn't scare Sky away._

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW!" Yellowfin stormed into the room. A piece of paper welcomed him by smacking him in the face. He pulled it away, his teeth showing in a growl.

"Nothing! There was wind. That's all. Nothing to take your teeth out for!" Bluefin snapped, holding paper to his stomach.

"Oh dear." Auklet looked at Sky, who was trembling in the corner. "Sky, darling," she called for him, seizing his attention. "Come over here."

Sky was hesitant, Auklet saw it in his face. He jerked low and away from a piece of paper that spun above him as thought it was a flying snake.

Meanwhile, Yellowfin's shouting filled the room. "You shouldn't work out here! Every time I get out here I step on paper. Last time you left ink out here and stepped on it. I still have the stain on my foot!"

"And what? Listen to your ghastly snores? I don't think so. I think it's-"

"OH BLUE MOONS! SHUT UP!" roared another voice. Turquoise stepped into the room, her body large and demeaning. "If I have to listen to you two bicker for one more day I'm going to throw THE BOTH OF YOU off this MOUNTAIN!"

Yellowfin looked unimpressed, his mouth ajar, ready for a rebuttal. But then the sound of sizzling hushed the room. Auklet watched the three other seawings turn their head and she followed.

Sky had an entire front leg engulfed in fire with smoke curling under his wings. He lifted a talon, looking inquisitively at his sudden ash-coloured claws.

Auklet would've assumed he blew fire to warm himself but then another breeze whirled in, sending loose paper to fly again. A piece hit his wing and momentarily burst into flames.

"Huh," Auklet said, for some reason not feeling scared at a thought like she as supposed to be. "Firescales." She heard Turquoise gasp beside her.

Sky looked low, his eyes steaming and his head looking in a panic at the older faces around him. "I-I'm sorry."

Both Bluefin and Yellowfin murmured to themselves.

"I'll leave," Sky said quickly, turning to the only exit. "I'll go."

"You don't have to, Sky," Auklet said to him. "Darling you don't have to leave." The downpour outside only reminded her of the seeping cold of the rain, which wasn't weather she wanted any dragon to be miserable in. Yes, even dragons with firescales.

Sky stopped and looked at her questioningly, his eyes glittering and heat pulsating against his grey underscales.

Auklet approaches him carefully, dragging her claws along the ground. "So what if you're a little different? The best ones are. My best friend was different and I loved him all the same."

Sky frowned. "But I-I can't touch anyone. I hurt them."

"So maybe you can't touch anyone. That doesn't mean you can't be happy. Or safe. Or that you can't be cared for," Auklet said. She read his expression: a mix of contemplation and denial. "You can go if you want but if you ever need a place to stay then come back. Or you don't have to leave at all. Stay."

Sky slowly nodded, his eyes still steaming and he stepped closer to her.

A flash of tiny light green seawing looking up at Auklet clouded her sight and she blinked it away, seeing Sky look up at her. _He's so much like Murrelet. _

_My daughter, Murrelet. I do miss you too._

"Come," she said to him. "You can have a room next to mine, the closest room on the left." She turned to the corridor that led into the rooms.

"But that's my room!" Yellowfin detested.

Bluefin growled at Yellowfin. "_Ours_."

Auklet shot Yellowfin a disapproving glance. He lowered his head in quick realisation that it wasn't a say open to suggestion. Remembering his place, he apologised. "It's all right. It was a stuffy and messy room anyway." He said, biting his upper lip.

"This way." Auklet gave a happy smile to Sky and proceeded into the corridor. Sky's footsteps hissed as he stepped on the damp rock, which was the only sound she heard from him at all.

Sure enough, the seawing twins' room was a bit of a mess. A pile of scrolls - both empty and scrawled upon clumped up a corner. Multi-coloured light bulbs scattered the floor and Auklet had to swat them away as she walked in. There was only one corner clear of any junk.

"You should sleep here," She said to Sky.

The edges of his snout curled upwards, even as he was too shy to meet her eyes. A smile. "Thank you." He steered around her and sat near the corner, brushing the floor with his tail and then curling himself into a small, red and grey coral polyp. "Thank you," he said again.

"I'll have someone clean all this up, but for now this room is yours. I'll bring food later and there's a stream of water just at the end if you get thirsty. If you ever need anything, just ask me, OK, darling?"

"Mhmm," Sky said, already resting his head on his talons on his head soundly.

Talk and chatter from the wide cave caught Auklet's ears and she went to check it out, but stopped herself before leaving the room to save a glance at Sky, who looked calm. Auklet nodded to herself and then joined the other seawings to investigate the sudden noise.

A strikingly aqua blue seawing stood soaked in the cave. Droplets from his wings and neck swelled into a puddle. Tied under his stomach was a satchel that sagged heavily.

Without hesitation, Auklet jumped and flung her wings over the seawing, embracing him. "Coast! You're back!"

Coast squeezed her into a tighter hug and then released. "Ow, ow."

Auklet stepped back to examine him. Clearly he was hurt, but where?

Coast lifted a talon to grasp his shoulder, where his scales were unmistakingly purple. Bruised.

"Did you get into a fight?" She lifted his chin, checking his neck for any wounds but there weren't any.

"I'm fine. I just - I thought I was spotted as soon as I grabbed the amulets, so I swam out the room as fast as I could. I didn't see where I was going so I smacked my shoulder into the wall," he said, cheeks turning purple in embarrassment. "Nothing to worry about," He assured.

From behind, Auklet heard Turquoise take a heavy step forward. "So you _did_ get the amulets."

Coast nodded. He unfastened the straps to the satchel and lifted it over his shoulders. He was about to lower it into the puddle when he realised that the floor wasn't exactly dry, so he handed it to Auklet instead.

There was a dry spot next to Bluefin and closer to the wall. She placed the satchel down carefully, reminding herself about the precious items inside. In the satchel was an easy latched box. Inside were - without a doubt - four animus enchanted amulets.

One was silvery and bumpy, like a turtle shell. One was flat, shiny, with a single clear gem in the middle. One was green and yellow in the shape of a talon-sized scale and a coppery chain. The last was a black jet gem, uncut, and hung from a gold chain.

Coast stepped closer, away from the puddle. "Good thing no one knows about the amulets, otherwise I'm sure the fake queen would've destroyed it."

Turquoise grinned. "Except us."

Yellowfin gave his brother a playful and slow punch to the shoulder. "Well look at that. I'm glad to see those again," he said. "Permission to have some fun with them, your majesty?"

Auklet scooped an amulet into her talons, feeling her claws tingle at the touch of magic. Looking at it closely, it was silver and shiny - as though it was just smithed. It was shaped like a spiky shield with clear cut edges and a single diamond in the middle to which Auklet could see her own jagged reflection. It reminded her of a snowflake.

She let the adornment of the amulet fall, sliding the glittery chain across her palm.

_Pretty._

"I think we should spare the chances of using it. These are the last amulets of its kind," Coast said to Yellowfin.

"I agree," Auklet said. "I'm not doing what we did before. We aren't going to be noisy and out in the open like before." The last ones were slashed to pieces, Auklet reminded herself.

When Coast and Yellowfin personally rescued her, they both had animus touched amulets that concealed their real appearance with the shape of another. She witnessed both become torn from both their necks when they tried to flee.

Bluefin butted in. "But your majesty, none of us are assassins."

"We aren't, but who's to say our new friends won't be."

Turquoise chuckled, her deep voice echoing. "You sound like you have a plan."

"I do, commander. I do. We're going to revive our forces, little by little, and in silence this time. We will hide when there is one mention of our name again. We're going to weaken the other tribes as much as we can. I'm going to get my throne back and then we strike. This time we won't make the same mistakes."

Coast put a talon on top of hers, his smile evoking support in her. "Whatever you do, I'll always be with you."

Auklet brushed her wings against his, appreciating his gesture.

"And you know I'll follow you wherever you go," Turquoise said. "For Azure."

Auklet nodded, reminding herself of Turquoise's late wife, who was killed by an icewing when they attacked Jade Mountain. "For Azure." Her gaze shifted to the twins'.

"I'd never bow to a fake queen like Anemone. She can get eaten by a clam for all I care. You're the real queen," Yellowfin said. "The only seawing queen I support."

Bluefin agreed. "I'd never trust an animus as my queen."

Auklet would've teared up just then, but stopped herself. "Then it's settled. This is our plan from now on. We strike carefully and precisely. Every move needs to have meaning."

"Where do we start?" Turquoise asked.

"I...don't know. Taking out a queen would be a good choice."

"The icewings are out of question, then. Of course they would."

"Why not go for Anemone? You can get your armies back instantly if you do that," Yellowfin said.

"Because having Anemone assassinated only for Queen Auklet to come back would raise far too many questions," Bluefin answered.

"I'm going to kill Anemone myself." _Somehow._ "That's the proper way to do it. She may not be worth the proper way but my throne is. That's how I won it and that's how I'm going to keep it," Auklet said. "Winning it in a fight makes sure no questions are ever asked and my position will never be questioned."

Yellowfin bobbed his head in understanding. "Not that I'd question it anyway."

"So where do we start anyway?" Bluefin questioned.

Auklet couldn't answer that question. Killing Anemone was the most dangerous option, seeing that Anemone was an animus and could kill her with a thought.

"You know, I've been hearing rumours about the sand kingdom recently," Coast prompted. "There's been word that Beetle is going to challenge Queen Thorn for the throne."

"Hah! So we kill both of them and make sure they don't have a queen. I love it!" Yellowfin mused loudly.

Bluefin shook his head at his brother. "That would be impossible."

"What? You've tried?"

"It's not that. It's that it would be impossible to kill either of them without being noticed."

"I think making sure one of them dies is the best option," Auklet said. "Or more accurately, making sure Thorn dies."

"Why Thorn?" Turquoise asked. "Wouldn't it be better to kill Beetle and stop Thorn from having any strong heirs? Blue moons know that her other daughter would never lift a talon to Thorn."

"Yes...except Thorn is older, therefore she had more experience as a queen. Beetle wouldn't have half her expertise."

"You just want to weaken them," Coast said.

"So when we strike, the sand kingdom will be as weak as ever."

"Now THIS I like," Yellowfin laughed. "I volunteer to do this."

"Actually, I want to do this."

Coast looked concerned at that point, immediately exchanging eyes with her. "Are you sure?"

_No._ She gulped. _But I feel like this is something I must do._ "Absolutely."

"I support you, just...just be careful. The sand kingdom is full of enemies. Especially Beetle."

"I know what needs to be done. Beetle needs to win, as much as I'd love to kill her but Thorn is the immediate threat. Her death will jumpstart our plan, even if the world doesn't know it yet," Auklet said. "We just need a way to make sure Beetle wins."

"Hmm, what if Thorn were poisoned?" Yellowfin suggested.

"The effects would be obvious!" Bluefin scorned.

"I'm just giving some options!"

"That's not a bad idea," Coast said. "If I can get something discreet and potent then that may shift the tides into our favour."

"Hah! See!" Yellowfin jestered, receiving a low grunt from his brother.

"Slipping Thorn something is the best way to ensure Beetle wins," she approved.

"What about the dragonet?" Turquoise asked. "You _do_ have plans for him, right? Especially with his scales."

Coast nudged her. "Dragonet?" He wondered.

"I found a dragonet wondering in the mountains," she said to him. "He was abandoned. I couldn't leave him out there so I let him stay here. We had an incident when we came back. But Coast...this dragon has firescales."

"Firescales," he echoed. "And he's here? Are you sure you want him to be-"

"I'm not letting a dragonet die in these mountains. Every dragonet deserves to grow up with care."

"I won't argue with that but...another firescales dragon? As long as he doesn't end up like-"

"He won't. I'll make sure he won't." She said quickly.

_Somehow._

_And I have my throne to get back._

_I need my Talons of Power at my call where it's supposed to be. _

_Pyrrhia will be mine._


	3. Chapter 2

"How are you feeling?"

The small crimson and grey dragonet didn't stop himself as he galloped around the room with ferocious energy. He had been like that all morning. Auklet wasn't sure where he got the energy and she did stop herself to worry for him, for he only ate a small talonful of berries and a rabbit that charred the moment he touched it.

But she couldn't deny the smile she felt watching the dragonet's turned mood from a few days ago when she first found him. It was also better this way because all the bouncing around meant that he wasn't hurt in anyway. Only the depths would know how to help him if he was.

"Great! I feel great!" Sky beamed. The orange glows of his underscales pulsed faster than his breaths, like a candle in a light breeze.

"That's good," she said, watching as he flapped his wings for a jump, sending warm ripples through the air. _Little sunfish_. "There was a story my friend used to tell me, you know."

That caressed his attention and he stopped, patting the ground with his talons. His brows lifted into open curiosity. It wasn't only Sky that reminded her of the story but also himself - the way he stopped entirely to listen, like Auklet did when Turtle offered to tell.

"It was about a legendary dragon. You remind me of it."

"What dragon? What dragon?" He asked quickly.

Auklet lowered herself to her stomach, folding her wings close. "Sit down and I'll tell you," she bargained. Sky chose a spot near her and sat on his tail. "The story was about a mythical dragon...a Sunwing. Now, no one has ever seen it but they knew what it did. It gave the gift of the sun every day, and it gave magic to all the land and the dragons that lived in it. It was immortal; living forever. So much so, that it quickly grew to grumble at its long life.

"But then it had an idea. The sunwing had magic. Its own magic, and using that, it turned one of its closest friends into a sunwing like it, with magic too. So that the sunwing would never be alone."

"I'd never like to alone like that," Sky commented, his brows furrowing at a thought. "I'm happy it found someone."

"That's what I thought too, but let me tell you the rest of the story," Auklet prompted, continuing on with the story. "But the new sunwing became bitter and arrogant at its own newfound power and wanted to-"she winced but Sky didn't seem to notice"-...hurt other dragons. When the old sunwing learned of this, it had no choice but to banish its friend into the Sun where it could never use its power again."

"Wow," Sky said. "Is the sunwing still here?"

"Yes, legends say that the sunwing is still here, watching over each and every one of us as it leads the sun into the sky every day. Some say if you look up at the sky close enough you can catch the shine of its wings."

"Wow! I'm gonna go outside and I'm gonna look at the sky and I'm gonna see it! You'll see!" He jumped up and the glowing lines lining his underscales pulsed. His aura filled with warmth and energy.

Auklet chuckled to herself. She'd said the exact same thing when Turtle told her the story, even if now she knew it was only a story - but the curiosity and determination was still there. She remembered waking up before the break of dawn just to see if she could find it. She never did, surprise surprise.

Now that she thought of it, there was an entirely different reason why Auklet came to see Sky that morning. It wasn't to tell him a story but something much more important.

"Sky, I've been meaning to tell you something." His head snapped at her, as if expecting something grave. "I'll be gone for a few days."

He lurched forward and stepped closer. "What? Where are you going?" He asked quickly.

"I'm going to do something dangerous and brave. Something might happen to me when I'm gone. I want you to know that."

"So don't go!" He cried loudly. "I don't want you to go! I like you."

"And I like you, little sunfish. But I have to go. It's very important to me. All the dragons here will take care of you while I'm gone."

"Do you promise?"

Auklet raised her neck slowly, watching the wall behind Sky. A promise... It seemed like such a small thing; that a promise was the last act of desperation for a dragonet to make. But no, promises weren't like that. Promises were never meant to be broken, otherwise even a crack in a promise was enough to tear a soul. It was always more than words, Auklet knew that.

Auklet met Sky's endearing eyes and realised that she wasn't smiling. He must've sensed that, because his glowing lines were turning rose.

The Seawing Queen took to her feet, steeping back to avoid the searing heat now resonating through the room.

"I'll be back." She said. It wasn't a promise. No, she couldn't do that to him.

Auklet made her way to the doorway, only stopping when Sky spoke again.

"Do you promise you'll come back safely?"

Auklet looked over her shoulder but didn't meet his eyes. "I'll be back." She said again, then made her way out.

She met Coast in their room. He had the silver snowflake-esque necklace in one talon and a blank parchment under the other.

"Please tell me it's ready, dearest king of mine." Auklet came up to his side.

"Of course," he said. Coast opened the pendant of the necklace. It was shallow, not meant to be obvious that it was able to open at all; just the way North liked it when he was still alive. "All we need is a name to write down for the transformation. I don't suppose you know any sandwings from the stronghold?"

"Only Beetle and Thorn. I suppose Venom and Hamada count but turning into a prince wouldn't be helpful in my case."

Coast snorted. "No it would not. Fortunately, whenever we came to the stronghold there was always the same sandwing serving us. I also know her name: Natterjack."

"Natterjack?"

"It's a type of toad, apparently."

"Who names their dragonet after a toad?"

Coast wrote the name down on the blank parchment and ripped it off. "It was a couple years ago, though, since I've seen her. I have no idea if anything's changed. She could be dead for all we know."

Auklet chuckled. A dead dragon walking, now that she could imagine such a face from Anemone once she realises Auklet still walked. "Nothing like returning from the dead." _But maybe it's better she never finds out._ She considered. _What am I saying? She took my crown and my throne. She didn't earn it, I did._

"You might be able to walk around but I'm sure some dragons will ask you, if they do recognise Natterjack. Let's just hope she isn't dead."

"What should I do if I encounter the real one?"

Coast folded the paper, fitting it into the pendant and then snapped it closed. "I suppose you'll have to dispatch her, hide her, anything to keep you from being found. Although, she might not recognise herself," he said. "Ready."

Auklet nodded and he turned to face her. She closed her eyes and Coast dropped the necklace over her head. He gasped and she heard him step back. But she didn't feel different.

When she opened her eyes, Coast had moved to the other side of the room and he looked...smaller. She towered, when only a few moments ago, he was only taller by the horns of his head.

"You just, changed. Instantly," Coast mumbled. He leaned forward, tilting his head. "Auklet?

"Did it work?" Auklet stared down at her talons. No longer were they green and majestic, but sandy and dirty, as if her scales were caked in sand for an eternity. She inspected the underside of her talon. Her talons were large and plated, and this sandwing - this Natterjack had callouses along her palm. "It worked." She met Coast's eyes. "Coast! It worked! It-"

Auklet stepped forward but realised that her movement was smooth. Something didn't feel right. Her hind leg didn't limp at all. She inspected her hind leg, seeing no scar at all. Of course, it made sense; why should she have a limp if Natterjack didn't have one?

But if I go back to being myself, I'll still have all my scars.

"Are you alright, starfish?" Coast asked. His bright blue eyes were shiny and wide, even in the yellow light of the fire berry scattering the room. And his head low; concerned. She knew that face anywhere.

She had forgotten Coast was still standing there, watching, perhaps even waiting for something else.

"Yes," she said but his face didn't change. "Yes, of course! It worked! Now all that's left is make sure Beetle wins." He was happy at that and nodded.

"Excuse me, your majesty," said a low voice behind her.

Auklet whirled around to the dark seawing behind her. The seawing ducked at the barbed sandy tail that followed Auklet.

The seawing was the colour of the watery depths with light blue underscales, like clouds on a sunny day. Her name was Glow. Her namesake: for the bright glow of her bioluminescence. She fought as a loyal soldier for her queen, especially in the battle on the beach four years ago.

"What can we do for you, Glow?" Coast asked.

Glow's eyes fixed onto Auklet, her mouth gaping. "I heard what you were doing but I really didn't think...Is that really you?"

"Down to the last crest and water-seeped scale," Auklet said, then raised her head closer to the ceiling. The echo of her voice resonated. Her voice was deep, deeper than any seawing she'd ever heard.

_She's a very tall and imposing dragon, isn't she?_ Auklet noted. _My kind of dragon. _

"You're going to the sand kingdom, aren't you? That's why you look like that."

"It will only be temporary...right?" Coast asked.

Auklet realised that Coast was speaking to her and she coughed. "Of course. Wouldn't want a sandwing like this stinking up the cave, now, would we?" She assured. "But I'll stay for now, I need to get used to this. The price we must pay for a better future."

"Of course," Glow said. "I'm here to ask a favour, please."

"That would depend on the favour, my loyal seawing, but do go on."

"It's about-about my love, my Mesquite."

Auklet flicked her eyes over Coast but turned her head away as he met her eyes.

Mesquite was a sandwing in her Talons, a loyal soldier, much like Glow. Perhaps that was how they fell in love. "Mesquite was captured, was he not?"

"Yes, and I think he might be being kept at the Stronghold, Thorn's Stronghold," Glow said. "I don't want it to be out of your way, but-but if you could find him and possibly save him, I'd be indebted."

"I will try my best to save him," Auklet agreed hastily. No promises.

Glow smiled. Lines near her nose and some on her shoulders lit up as she said "Thank you." The dark seawing bowed graciously and then proceeded to leave, the sound of a high-pitched squeal following behind her.

"Just make sure if you do save him, that you don't get captured yourself," Coast said to her.

"We'll have to see about that but something tells me this sandwing - this Natterjack won't be taken down so easily," she said. "But, my king, don't worry. I still have you and Sky to look after when I get back."

Coast glanced at the doorway, as if expecting some dragon to magically appear. "Speaking of the skywing, do you have a plan for him? A dragon with firescales isn't exactly born every day."

"Not for now. I want to make sure he's safe and happy first, he is a dragonet after all. Then I might figure out what to do with him. Perhaps I'll have a new loyal soldier," she said. "First things first, Thorn needs to die."

"That's why I got this." Coast turned around. He approached a closed satchel and then poured his talon into it, retrieving a clay vial closed by a cork. He presented it to her. "A weak sleeping potion. I was told it barely had a taste and it worked quickly. It shouldn't be too obvious until the fight but, heh-"he chuckled"-It'll be too late by then."

"Absolutely perfect."

He readied a shoulder bandolier, closing the potion inside and then fastening the small satchel to Auklet's foreleg.

"Don't worry about Sky," he said. "I promise to take care of him while you're gone. I'll take him flying, I know he'll love that."

Auklet smiled. "Do you remember the stories Turtle used to tell us?"

Coast smiled in return. "Oh all too many. I loved some of those stories."

"Can you tell him some, maybe not a scary one before sleeping."

"Of course."

Coast tightened the belt of the bandolier and that was when Auklet knew it was time. It was time to leave, to ensure that a queen would die soon. But also to start a plan that couldn't be stopped by any dragon this time.

This time.

* * *

The Stronghold was within view and Auklet couldn't help but grasp the necklace in her talon. The silver jewellery was weightless and Auklet forgot about it. She only hoped Natterjack liked jewelry as much as Auklet did.

It was exactly how she remembered; two tall and thick exterior walls made of stone and guard towers and etched into the sky. It was not nearly as graceful as the Paradise palace or the Deep palace but it was practical enough for a surface Stronghold.

Behind her, the Sun was close to setting but not enough to see the sky turn fiery. Ahead, a moon was almost full and settled itself slightly higher than the Sun.

Guards flew in pairs around the Stronghold and every entrance was protected. One pair flew close to her but only close enough for Auklet to see their teeth curl into a gasp, and they flew away, continuing on their loop. Auklet took that as a sign that Natterjack was indeed still alive but wherever she was, Auklet had to be weary. The real Natterjack would find her and ruin everything.

_The fight will happen soon. I'd better hurry._

There was a tall gateway through the outer wall. During her previous visits, this was the only way in, or safest way in. But Auklet did once hear of a backway.

Auklet stopped by the entrance. The two guards didn't face her but looked as if they were holding their breath. "Where is Thorn?"

The sandwing guard glanced up at her and tipped his spear backwards. "In her chambers."

_Good enough for me._ Auklet nodded and continued, but in the corner of her eye, the guard watched her with wide eyes and then breathed.

Her ears perked up to the sound on oncoming steps and she managed to stop herself before walking into another sandwing.

"Watch where you're going!" Snapped the sandwing. The sandwing was smaller than her, and strode to the side to walk pass. "Mind your tail!"

Auklet simply watched the stranger walk by, unsure if she should've said anything.

But the guards behind did it for her and quietly hushed at the sandwing that snapped at her. "Quiet! You don't say that kind of thing to her."

However, the stranger had a point. Sandwings had a technique - a way of holding their tail when not actively trying to stab some dragon's heart.

Auklet stumbled into the Stronghold, scanning the sandwings and observing their tails. Even if she was only here briefly, she had to blend in.

She noticed the sandwings curled the end of their tails inwards, carefully hanging their stinger above their own scales. She pulled herself into an empty hallway and practised curling her tail meanwhile watching out for any sandwings that came her way.

She stopped once to watch a sandwing pass by her quickly.

The stinger managed to hang above her scales and it was good enough. Auklet continued on to meet the sandwing queen in her quiet chamber; at the top of a spire with an extending balcony covered by white cloth, looking over the stadium.

And there was the once magnificent Queen Thorn, back turned, looking out to her future.

The old sandwing Queen hunched and her wings were low, touching the ground. She must have heard Auklet because her head turned slowly to face her with tired eyes, her dusty tail slithering in her shadow. She sat over a small table.

"What are you doing here?" Thorn almost hissed, giving rise to her wings. "I would've thought you'd be busy."

"I'm here to serve you," Auklet responded, avoiding Thorn's sharp eyes. "Tea?"

"Are you now? Interesting." Thorn turned back to the table. She was fidgeting something around her claws and Auklet stepped closer. It was a small, golden ring. Shiny and polished, new, perhaps. A single golden scarab adorned the ring.

Thorn slurred. "I'm afraid I've already sent someone for that. Nothing else can cleanse the feeling in my head. But I should've known you wanted to; it'd be the last time."

That was that. Auklet was too late. Without the poison, she could only hope Beetle was good enough to fight Thorn and win. And provide an ample enough distraction for Auklet to free Mesquite, maybe even the other prisoners to make Beetle's new ascension even more interesting.

Just as Auklet was beginning to walk away, Thorn spoke up. "I'm scared this time." Auklet stopped and heard her own heartbeat. Those words resonated and she turned to look at Thorn. Thorn stared out the balcony but her eyes lower.

The sandwing queen must've known that Auklet was listening closely, and she continued. "I've killed more heirs than I can count on a single talon, all because I had a little more fight in me than they did. And I always thought there'd be more, more challenges, more time to prove myself. I never knew I'd get this far, though. I guess the sun in me dimmed every time I stepped into that arena."

Finally, another dragon - another queen that understood what it was like. Auklet herself has had to face countless heirs, but they'll never supposed to be Queens because they weren't strong enough to beat her. That was how it worked.

"I've lived too long," Thorn said softly. "It's my time to go."

"No. Queens die when they are beaten by a princess stronger, not because time deems it so. You have to fight with all you've got. That's how it works."

"But if I do that, my only heir dies. There will be no other heirs, or any brave enough to challenge. The crown must change." Thorn slammed her talon down on the table. "The crown must change." She said again slowly, then jerked her head at Auklet, eyes wide. "Do you understand?"

Auklet had to remember that she was not herself. She was Natterjack. She stammered. "Well-"

But Thorn interrupted. "Do you? No!" The sandwing raised to her feet, taking a step towards Auklet. "How can you possibly understand? I must die! I've lived all this time and done all these things and I must _die_!"

Auklet realised that she backed herself into the wall. Thorn was now a shade from her past. But she was smart enough to know that, too, Thorn was a smart dragon.

Thorn lowered her wings, hunching over again, returning to her spot behind the table, as though the position was imprinted. "Sorry," she mumbled. "These are the things that have been drowning my head."

"Don't be sorry." Everything Thorn felt...it was what Auklet felt, almost, and all this time she thought she was the only one. "How can you feel guilty for surviving?"

"But for the tribe to survive, what does that take?" There wasn't an answer for that. "It's drawing near." Thorn nodded to the arena. The stadium was half full already, with more dragons pouring in to take a seat. To watch the fight.

_It's happening this soon? Already?_

Thorn shambled to the balcony, her claws tapping at the railing as she peered with her long neck. She breathed deeply. "It's time. I suppose I can't keep them waiting." She turned to Auklet. "Torture to keep them docile, hm?"

That sentence...There was something in Thorn's tone when she spoke that made Auklet think that that sentence meant more than it sounded. What was she missing?

Thorn's eyes narrowed. She must've sensed something was amiss but the sandwing queen seemed to dismiss it, turning to the crowds. "The ring on the table," she said. She must've meant the golden beetle ring. "Please, give it to Beetle when this is over. She deserves it as the new queen."

Thorn spread her wings, dropping herself over the railing and glided down to the sands below. To face her inevitable future.

Auklet took the ring from the table, inspecting it closely. _Pretty_, she thought, seeing the reflection of her own eye in the gold metal. Inside the band was the initial 'M'. _Why should Beetle have it? She's not a worthy leader, a competent fighter, perhaps, but not a queen. I almost feel sorry that Thorn's legacy left behind such a weak Queen. A pity, really. _

_But this ring belonged to a good ruler and should always belong to a good ruler, like me._ Auklet pocketed the ring, smiling as she did and she checked the arena once more.

With the stadium virtually full, the Stronghold was left mostly empty. Which was the perfect opportunity for Auklet to look for Mesquite. So she exited Thorn's tower and went directly to the prison.

The prison was located under the arena, and if Auklet remembered correctly, there was an entrance outside the arena that could shield her from the eyes of the audience. And Thorn.

There were two guards perched outside, above the entrance into the prison. They looked ready to take off, perhaps to watch the fight between the queen and the princess. But they noticed Auklet approach the prison and straightened, tapping their spears and curling their neck up.

"They haven't been noisy," said the closest guard. He gave her a nervous smile.

"It's a prison. It's always noisy," Auklet observed, taking a step. But the same guard lowered the flint of the spear, blocking her way.

"We can watch the prison for you. You can just...watch the fight. I'm sure the prisoners won't be a problem," said the guard, hastily, and the other guard nodded quickly.

Auklet narrowed her eyes at the guard and he quickly realised that he wasn't going to win this. He lifted the spear, clearing the way, and Auklet stepped inside.

It was dim and a white cloth hung from the ceiling, obscuring the view into the prison. She lifted it overhead and allowed it to drift over her wings as she stepped forward. It was just as bleak as she imagined.

There was a long hallway that split off into two at the end, and cells on either side. Torches lined the dungeon, offering ample light. She inspected the first cell.

A sandwing with gashes along her neck huddled at the other. She wasn't facing Auklet but her eye followed her movements. The next cell had two males, one enclosed within the wing of the other, of which, looked protective.

The prison wasn't noisy, not like she thought. The seawing prison wasn't necessarily noisy either, but was constantly lit up by the talk of aquatic.

Auklet inspected each cell until she spotted one with a sandwing, his scales dry yellow and light brown with random, jagged and short lines marbling his body and wings. If memory served her right, this was Mesquite.

"Mesquite?" She peered into the cell.

The sandwing lowered his head, eyes still sharp. It was behaviour she'd seen in the other prisoners: wary - wary of her. Almost as if they could see that this dragon wasn't who she seemed to really be.

Mesquite nodded slowly.

"Come here," she ordered. He hesitated, whimpering. "Now." With that, he came over to the iron gate that trapped him. "Don't worry. It's me, Auklet."

Mesquite was taken aback, stopping himself to examine her fully. "What?"

"It's an enchantment." Auklet tapped the snowflake necklace with a claw. "I'm here to get you out."

The sandwing breathed deeply and raggedly. "I thought you were really her. I thought the necklace was her rattling key chain. You - you looked just like her." He ran a talon over gashes along his neck.

"I need to get you out of there, my dear sandwing. Where are the-" Her ears picked up the sound of heavy footsteps back the way she came.

A female sandwing lifted the white cloth over her head, just as Auklet did. Her black tongue flickered in and out, searching. The sandwing had pale, dusty scales with darker and whiter splotches. Her scales looked incredibly familiar. Almost as if-

Auklet looked down at her own forelegs and then at the stranger, realising why they looked so familiar. _It's the real Natterjack. _

Natterjack's dark eyes locked onto Auklet, her eyes wide and the edges of her snout curling to show teeth. "I was hearing rumours of a twin - a doppelganger," she said, her voice deep and firm. "Today just got interesting."

Mesquite gasped. "Oh no! She's here!" He grasped the iron bars of the gate. "Please! Get me out! Get us out!" The other prisoners seemed to join in. The clanging of metal and claws echoed throughout the dungeon.

"I don't have the key! I don't know where they are!" Auklet said to him, over the thundering noises.

"QUIET!" Natterjack yelled and the dungeon fell completely silent. It was as if she were a queen in her own right. She growled, metal clanging against her scales. "I don't know who you are or who you think you are but this is _my_ prison. _My_ prisoners. No one comes in here without _my_ permission and no one leaves," she said. "It's good the guards are gone. They won't notice what will happen to my so-called twin."

"Gone?" Auklet questioned. _They weren't so eager to leave before..._

"They don't have the stomach to deal with what has to be done," snarled Natterjack.

What did she mean by that?

Auklet looked to Mesquite. He was sunken, keeling over. His talons fell from the gate. "She tortures us," he said slowly.

Suddenly, it clicked in her head. _Torture to keep them docile_. She wondered why the other sandwings wanted to avoid her; Thorn's strange choice of words; and why the guards didn't want to let her in. Even they didn't agree with torture.

Thorn didn't seem appealing anymore, or a good queen for that matter. If she allows the torture and mistreatment of prisoners, then what did that say about her? Auklet never treated her prisoners with such cruelty.

She had to get them out. All of them.

Auklet leaned into the gate, eyes on Mesquite. "Where are the keys?'

"She has them." He pointed. "Around her neck."

"Then we fight." Auklet nodded then turned to Natterjack. The real one, and distanced herself to place herself between the cells. A challenge.

"Finally," Natterjack said. There was a satchel around her left shoulder. She reached in, pulling out a whip and extended it on the sand.

_Torture to keep them docile_.

Auklet noticed the other prisoners swarm to their gates. To watch the fight.

Natterjack raised the whip, neighbouring her wings and then threw her talon. The whip cracked close and Auklet winced. She circled, inching closer. She had to get by that whip.

The whip cracked twice more and Auklet had to jump out the way, her wing colliding with an iron gate.

The whip cracked again and pain stung at her shoulder.

Auklet hissed, checking the new gash at her shoulder. it was shiny and red already.

Natterjack cackled with short victory. She threw the whip again, landing squarely on Auklet's nose. Auklet backed away, rubbing her nose.

Natterjack grinned at Auklet's pain. She started to walk forward, drawing herself closer to Auklet as she kept throwing the whip and hitting her.

"Haha!" Natterjack cackled loudly. "No one plays in my prison!" But she was getting herself closer to Auklet.

There were gashes now over Auklet's neck. It was the stinging pain that was unbearable. There were tears falling from her eyes and her talons clenched the sand.

There was no getting by that whip. Auklet wasn't getting close. But...Natterjack kept moving forward.

Auklet stopped moving backwards, and spread her wings, biting her tongue as the whip cracked and holes started to puncture her pale wings. It wasn't like Auklet was going to stay transformed as Natterjack, anyway.

Fiery orange surrounded Natterjack's silhouette through her wings. Auklet waited until the shadow was huge and then-

Auklet moved her wing and pounced forward, tackling Natterjack to the side. Natterjack pushed her backwards and nocked the whip once again. But Auklet caught the string and pulled it. The sandwing gasped as the handle fell into the sand.

Auklet buried it. "That's better. More fair." She met Natterjack's surprised face. Her eyes look worried now.

Auklet threw her talons at her and Natterjack jumped back. Just as she expected, because she then spun around, swinging her tail.

As a seawing, she once threw a dragon off their talons because of her tail but she figured the venomous tail was good enough.

When she spun back around, Natterjack had a short, horizontal cut along her neck.

"No!" yelped the sandwing. "No!"

Taking the opportunity, Auklet darted at her, feeling her claws wrap around metal. Natterjack head-butted her and the sound of metal-snapping reverberated in her ears.

"You'll pay for everything!" hissed Natterjack.

Auklet only smiled, lifting her talon and showing the sandwing what she had in her claws.

"My keys!" Natterjack looked down at her chest. A metal chain was broken and hung useless around her shoulders.

"Mesquite!" Auklet launched the keys at him.

"No!" Natterjack dived forward, her talon outstretched to catch the keys but Auklet rammed her, pushing her into the white draping cloth near the entrance. The cloth ripped and fell with the sandwing.

Natterjack breathed deeply. The cut on her neck was black along the edges.

Quickly, Auklet took the sleeping poison from her own satchel, popped the cork. She pried open Natterjack's snout, standing on her neck to keep her still and emptied the vial down the sandwing's throat. Natterjack thrashed as Auklet battled to keep her snout closed.

Then Auklet gave up and slapped Natterjack across the cheek, and she stopped moving then.

Behind Auklet, the iron gates were opening. Mesquite was going to each cell and opening them, freeing the inhabitants. She smiled at that. Two of the freed sandwings approached Auklet.

"Thank you," said the first one. Sheltered in the curl under his wing was the other male he protected, shaking. Auklet nodded to them. They left the prison, taking their new freedom. She wasn't going to argue with that.

"The prisoners," Natterjack breathed deeply. "Get - get back into...into your cells." Her voice was unremarkable now. Shallow and weak.

A few moments later Mesquite came up next to her and looked down at Natterjack, who was now squirming and wincing but her eyes closed. "Good riddance."

"How bad was she?" Auklet asked him.

"She was Thorn's right-talon torturer," he said. "She deserved everything you did to her and more."

Auklet inspected the prison once more. The prisoners were all out, stretching their wings. They all looked relieved. Auklet was, too.

"We're leaving. I've done everything I needed to do here," she said, leaving the prison. Mesquite followed. "Come on, Glow's expecting you."

"Glow?"

"She was the one that asked me to rescue you."

Mesquite smiled, his face soft. "I don't know how - how...thank you."

"It's nothing, really. Besides, Beetle's going to have a lot of fun once she's queen," she said. "Let's get out of here."

Auklet spread her wings and leapt into the air, flying back to the mountains with Mesquite flying beside her.

She waited until sand receded the ground below them and the longest tail of the Great Five Tail river ran behind them.

"I'm sending you and Glow away," she said to him.

"What? But what about the Talons? Aren't you still in charge? I thought that that was another reason why you rescued me."

"I _am_ still in charge, but you and Glow deserve something more stable. That's an order. In three moons, I want the both of you to leave, maybe head to Riverwatch, or, I hear Seamarch isn't filled with so many old dragons, veterans I think. I think you both would be happy there."

"Thank you," he said graciously. "I'm glad you're the leader of the Talons. Pyrrhia needs a dragon like you in charge."


	4. Chapter 3

Glow and Mesquite left, in the break of dawn. They left with honour in their hearts and a small pouch of gold to support them. They'd work something out. They were smart. All of her loyal soldiers were.

She watched their silhouettes become dots against the rocky side of the valley. Only Mesquite looked back once and all his face said was that he was grateful. Of course he should've been, for it had been her that saved him. Still, it made her happy that she made that choice to save him and to eliminate such a terrible dragon in the process.

Natterjack was a cruel dragon under the rule of a, perhaps, even crueler queen. A queen that was once so revered, even by Auklet herself but had lost her way. Maybe it was age that nurtured the unbidden transformation. Thorn was a very old dragon after all.

Auklet could only look at herself after that.

Perhaps Thorn didn't realise what she was doing and only sought out the easiest solution to her problem.

It was her first time using the enchanted necklace to transform herself into another dragon, and it was a good thing it was her first time too. Under any other circumstances, she may have just wrote a name down and ran off elsewhere to be anything else. For now, she kept that thought at the back of her head. A last resort escape plan was always handy.

Though, she felt the thought tug at her more often now, but she had to ignore it, because she had very important things to do, especially now since Glow and Mesquite were gone.

After checking the skies once more, she crept back into the cave and met Coast and Turquoise inside.

The seawing twins still slept. Bluefin's snoring echoed, stunted only by the walls surrounding them. It was Auklet's decision to not wake them, lest they _all_ spend the morning not getting anywhere useful.

"They're gone now," She said. Coast and Turquoise exchanged glances. "Which means we can decide what to do next." She didn't want Glow or Mesquite to be here during this discussion. She was afraid they'd have something smart to say and she'd decide to keep them here anyway, despite her prior promise to Mesquite. It was better waiting until they left.

"The rainforest is closest," Coast suggested. "The nightwings were once loyal to us, I don't see why they wouldn't help us again."

"They can't keep their snouts shut. You know nightwings: loud, bragging crow dragons," Turquoise commented. Though exaggerated, Turquoise did speak some truth. Allegedly, one of their own nightwing Talons were found out and failed to exterminate the witness, getting them all captured.

"They were still useful," Auklet said. "And last I heard, their commanding officer was never revealed. With luck, not all of them were ratted out."

"Albeit a small number," Coast said. "We can work with that but it's not much. I was hoping some sandwings would join us when you shortened their prison sentence."

Auklet narrowed her eyes at him. "They were being tortured. Discussing allegiances with them seems a little more than insensitive at that time. Besides, if Beetle's newfound crown doesn't work out and our plan with the nightwings does, then we might gain some attention."

"Bidding time," Turqouise said. "I like it."

Coast shrugged, not wholly convinced but soon gave in and agreed.

"Then it's settled," Auklet said. "If the Talons are to be remade, better, then we need somewhere to start again. We start with the nightwings."

* * *

Auklet used her enchanted necklace again. Inside the locket she placed a scrap of paper with the name Stargazer etched onto it. She figured it was enough of a nightwing name, and sure enough, she transformed into a grey nightwing, and with sparkly wings too.

Though, she supposed all nightwing wings were sparkly and that she never bid notice before.

Coast sketched her a map of the nightwing houses that took up roughly a third of the whole village. She'd only ever visited the village once when Glory was still queen and kindly arranged a dinner for her and Coast. She only obliged because Coast wanted to see the village for himself.

As a nightwing, Auklet flew into the village without as much of a glance from a battlement guard. The village itself was impressive now that she really looked at it, even in the depth of midnight. The natural vine fortifications made the village look both menacing and secure.

The streets and paths were reminiscent of the Deep Palace, which made her only yearn to return back home. Back home to the sea, where she belonged.

Though, her eyes drooped and felt saggy. Great moons, she should've been sleeping by now. She only hoped Coast had made sure Sky was asleep too.

The nightwings she'd passed looked healthy and the guards armoured and imposing. Perhaps the nightwings were both an invulnerable ally and a grievous threat. Their leader, Diamondclaws, was definitely not a dragon to mess with by the look of things.

She waded into an empty path and pulled out the map Coast had made for her and followed it.

When Auklet had started the Talons of Power it didn't take long for dragons to notice. Dragons from different tribes started to join, and from that point Auklet knew her Talons couldn't consist of just seawings and sandwings sent to her by a powerful ally. Princess Willow joined the Talons, with the promise of an army of mudwings if they killed Queen Ibis.

Word scattered within the underground of Pyrrhian society that her Talons had attracted the likes of Princess Willow. That was when a nightwing came to them and offered aid with the same goal of eliminating Queen Ibis for personal reasons.

That nightwing was named Silence, and apparently, she was one of few nightwings that hadn't been revealed as a Talon.

Coast's map led her to Silence's house, a building of stone on the curve of the wide, waning moon shaped village. She opened the door and made her way inside, closing the door behind her. A table was the first thing she saw. It was fine wood, surrounded by a neat ring of cushions. Dim, grey fireberries hung from vines hoops from the ceiling, which looked as if they hadn't been changed in a few weeks.

There was no movement. No thud of the floor or sound that pricked her ears. Silence either had the most appropriate name for a nightwing, or likely wasn't home. Auklet chose on the latter.

There was a room at the back of the house, which Auklet only spotted from a dark doorway. She leaned in and saw clay, fired pots of varying sizes lining the wall. At the end, in the dark, was a basement trap door inclined on the floor. A chain and lock sealed the door.

Auklet stared at it for a moment, wondering why it was there, then she heard the front door open in a hurry. She twisted to face the nightwing at the door.

It was Silence.

Silence had dark, ashy volcanic scales, and faded grey and terracotta underscales. Her wingtips were garnet, but in this light, looked as though the tips were dipped in red dragonblood at first glance.

Her face twisted as she faced Auklet, and eyes narrowed at her. "Who are you?" She demanded loudly and bared her teeth. "Get out of my house!"

Auklet quickly lifted the enchanted necklace over her head and held it in her talon. Looking down at her talon, her scales changed from dark grey to the magnificent green of her own, true scales.

"Auklet?" The nightwing rose her brows momentarily and then relaxed her face, stepping away from the door and closing it in a flash with her tail. She then said in a blank tone, "What a surprise."

"I hope you're not expecting visitors."

"I'm too busy for visitors," she replied. "What can I do for you, Auklet?"

Auklet huffed. "That's _Queen_ Auklet, even to you."

Silence's brows furrowed. "Not from I've heard. Anemone is the seawing Queen now, and I don't really particularly care who's on who's throne. As long as it doesn't affect me, my thoughts are driven elsewhere."

"It should affect you. Without me on my throne, I don't have many Talons."

"Is that what this is about?" She asked. "You want the Talons back?"

Auklet nodded and smiled. "You were always a smart nightwing."

"I know that," she said. "But I won't help you. I have many pressing matters to deal with, my work mainly, but now my son."

"And what's wrong with your son?"

"There is nothing _wrong_ with my son but where he is currently. My Lava is in prison. He's being extradited to the mud kingdom in a few days and all my requests to revoke that extradition is being dismissed," Silence hissed. "I'm his mother. I deserve to dictate where he stays."

Auklet knew nothing about how extradition worked. You'd think she would have some knowledge but it had never happened to her, so she never bothered to study it. She could only assume there was an agreement between Queen Ibis and Queen Firefly.

Yet, she felt like she was missing something.

"Why is he being extradited? He's a nightwing, isn't he?"

"His father was a mudwing. Queen Ibis hates hybrids, so when she found out about Lava she tried to have him killed. His father was killed when we tried to escape," Silence said. "We got to the rainforest, where I'd knew it'd be safe for us. I guess she never forgot."

Auklet thought it was strange that a queen would worry about one little dragon, since there are more hybrids now more than ever. "Extradition doesn't happen out of nowhere. She must have a case against him."

"What's exactly what I asked. From what the mudwing mediators have told me, his father killed one of Ibis's brothers. But since he died before the trial, his crimes have been directed to next of blood kin. My son. They're accusing my son of something he never did."

"Perhaps we are very similar," Auklet muttered. "What if I were to intercept the convoy?" She had Silence's attention. "What if I were to save your son?"

Silence smiled. "Then I'll do whatever you want. You want me to gather all of your remaining nightwing supporters? Done."

"And recruit more, if you can."

Silence nodded. "But when you save my son, keep him with you. It won't take long for word to spread if he doesn't make it to the mud kingdom. If he's here he'll be arrested again. But if he was with you - hidden, I'll know that he's safe."

With Glow and Mesquite gone, there was definitely room to accommodate for one more dragon.

Perhaps things were increasingly shifting within her favour.

Auklet settled it with one word. "Done."

* * *

Auklet waited on the end of a long salt river. With her was Turquoise and the twins, Bluefin and Yellowfin. It was Bluefin's decision to wait in a spot where the rainforest and mud kingdom borders converged, and Yellowfin scouted it out in the following morning.

Though, there was a large scavenger den in the side of the mountain with walls and catapults to defend those walls. It did make Auklet nervous to see the weaponry that such small creatures have been able to construct.

But it seemed, if they didn't bother the scavengers, then the scavengers wouldn't bother them. Auklet soon forgot about their presence.

"Silence said her son is being extradited today and has also managed to leak out their flight path. At any moment they could fly over us. We must keep an eye on the sky," Auklet said to them.

It felt like a lie because she'd been there all morning and afternoon, and Turquoise was the only dragon to keep the twins in check, otherwise Auklet would soon go mad from their blathering. Silence had never lied to her yet. She doubted any dragon had enough scales to lie to her.

Finally, the evening came. The Sun fell under the distant flowing river. There was a delta in the long distance, Auklet knew. A large delta where large numbers of mudwings lived.

Auklet sat beside the river bed. The entire river was sunken in the ground, surrounded by clay slops and rocky faces. Her talons were caked in the clay but for now she'd have to live with it. Good thing she decided to leave the golden scarab ring in the cave.

Turquoise sat a fair distance away, her back facing the river, basking in the Sun. Both the twins were submerged in the brass-coloured water.

Things were exactly the same as they were an hour ago.

Perhaps Silence was wrong.

"My Queen," Turquoise called softly. The seawing took to her feet and gracefully whirled to the side, enough to turn her neck at Auklet and then nod back up to the indigo sky.

In the distance, against the emerging night sky, were four flying shapes in a triangle formation. One of which was slightly smaller than the others and darker in colour. Silence's son, she was sure. That one also happened to be in the middle of the escort group.

"Intercept them," Auklet ordered. Not a moment later, Turquoise was in the sky, creating gusts that stirred up the dry dust from her huge wings. "Twins, get out. All claws in the sky."

Bluefin and Yellowfin surfaced and dragged themselves from the water, shaking themselves.

"Finally, some action," Yellowfin said with a vibrant smile.

"Steady, brother, mudwings are pretty strong. It'd take two of us to take on one," Bluefin responded.

"Yeah and it takes three to take on Turquoise. Come on!" Yellowfin glanced at Auklet and then lifted into the sky. Bluefin went after him.

Auklet flew into the sky afterwards, rubbing clay off her claws while flying closer to the band of mudwings. Sharp claws were needed for battle and a sky battle was no exception.

Turquoise had already impeded the mudwings, stopping them midflight. She bared her teeth, making it clear they weren't going to pass without a flight.

"Remember we want the dark one alive!" Auklet shouted.

With every wingbeat, the tips of her wings curled as they rose, grabbing the air and then releasing as they fell downwards. There was tension in her shoulders. She hadn't beat her wings like this since the day of her escape.

It felt as important as that day.

The mudwings were stuck in the sky. With Turquoise blocking their path, a clear dark sky for no normal mudwing to hide against, and more seawings approaching, they had nowhere to go.

The mudwing in front of the pack, the biggest, started to yell at Turquoise, started to bare his teeth in retaliation. He reached out his claws and lunged at her.

"Turquoise!" Bluefin yelled.

If Turquoise heard him, she bid no attention. She allowed herself to drop to avoid the heavy swipe, then burst upwards, ramming his stomach with her horns.

Yellowfin crashed into the side of large mudwing, ripping him away from Turquoise's horns, now dripping dark red. One of the other mudwings flew to his aid but Bluefin darted towards him, roaring hoarsely. The mudwing froze and gaped at the blue seawing.

The last of the trio of mudwings, was the smallest but still had the courage to face Bluefin, leaving Silence's son exposed at the back.

"Lavalicker!" Auklet shouted. The darker mudwing grew wide-eyed. Hopefully he'd realised that he was being rescued.

The small mudwing had realised that Auklet was there and flew in front of her. He had pale scales, almost shell white in the darkness.

"Get out of the way," Auklet demanded. "Or die." But the mudwing didn't budge, aside from his beating wings, he didn't move at all. "Very well then."

The mudwing gaped his jaw and smoke curled from his teeth. He gaped again and she saw the back of his throat, glowing orange faintly. Fire.

Auklet growled. Fire was a minor, yet annoying complication.

She dove, just as the mudwing widened his jaw and allowed a fiery jet to erupt. Heat pressed against the scales on her tail, but not hot enough to indicate that she had been hit. She spiralled back up, behind the mudwing and before he could turn around fast enough. She racked her claws against his side and managed to shred at his wing membrane.

The mudwing howled and descended sharply, falling because one of his wings wasn't supporting him correctly.

Auklet left him like that, spiralling to the ground. It was best to leave him.

She turned to Turquoise. The larger mudwing she was fighting had claws marks across his scales. He was stumbling across the sky, blood dribbling across his scales.

Auklet mistakenly blinked as her eyes drifted across the Sun's bright radiance, and at the same time the mudwing fell.

"Commander!" Said the last mudwing.

The commander kept falling, faster and faster, meanwhile the mudwing dove to catch him. Not that it would have been any use.

That was settled. All that was left was to secure Lavalicker.

"Lava-" Auklet looked up to where the dark mudwing was supposed to be. He wasn't there. "Where did he go?" She lurched forward, scanning the horizon. There was no shape of a flying dragon. Then she scanned the ground; it was dark yet the mudwing's dark shape would've contrasted easily. "WHERE DID HE GO?!"

Bluefin came to her side. "But...he was just here."

"Find him!" snapped Auklet. "Find him now!"

Bluefin obeyed and descended to the ground. It would take him hours to look, but better to look then to announce failure without having tried.

"What if we don't find him?" Turquoise asked suddenly. Her talons were streaked dark, and she herself had minor scratches on her.

"Then I've failed. I will not tolerate that."

* * *

She failed.

Lavalicker was gone. They searched for hours into the dark night. Not as much as they could have though, not when they were so close to the rainforest, not with the nightwing patrols, not when the mudwings would've been alerted to their presence. If they kept looking then they would've gotten caught.

The mission was a failure and Auklet would be the one to tell Silence the result. The nightwing would not be pleased, she knew, but Auklet failed to fulfil her end of the deal, so she must bear the news no matter what. Even though she was hesitant to tell the truth.

She could just lie, after all, Lavalicker was to be kept with her when he was rescued. But she could not will it. To lie to a mother about her dragonet...it was unfathomable. A golden rule amongst mothers.

No, she had to tell the truth.

It was pitch black when Auklet left the cave to visit Silence, in her Stargazer form. She was one with the night as a nightwing, naturally. The nightwing also had keen nightvision. Which was exactly how she spotted a faint white shape in a glade on the edge of the rainforest.

The shape moved, not like an animal, not that any rainforest animal would be awake at this time. It moved like a dragon. Auklet wasn't far from the ground, so the shape and size indicated that it was a dragonet - a small one too.

Auklet was alarmed, her mind racing from its once tired disposition. Why is the dragonet awake at this hour? It didn't look like a nightwing. Why was it so pale? Was it a rainwing? Why was a rainwing dragonet so far away from its home?

She eventually gave in and decided to investigate.

The small dragonet disappeared into the undergrowth, almost challenging her to follow.

When Auklet landed, she took off the enchanted necklace, letting her talons squish in the damp ground. The golden beetle ring was wrapped around one of her talons. She should've taken it off before leaving, now that it was to be covered in gross plant-matter.

It was quiet but not quite silent. Auklet's ears tuned in to the sound of soft stepping and mush of ground and - a whimper? Hearing that, Auklet ventured deeper, carefully pushing branches and bushes from her path.

Auklet found the dragonet, pale, and leaning against a tree. She took a step, making sure to be louder, and sure enough, the dragonet turned their neck around.

It was a female, with ghost-like scales but dark eyes. Under her eyes was a sliver of yellow scales that Auklet first thought were leaves.

Young, by the looks of it, about the same age as Sky. Maybe even slightly older.

"Leave me alone." was all the dragonet said. She raised her wings, covering her back and view of her wings but she mewled softly, clenching her jaw.

"What is a dragonet like yourself doing out here in the dead of night?" Auklet asked. The dragonet bid no reply. "It's not safe out here. Where are your parents?"

"I know it's not safe, and my parents don't care about me," said the dragonet, her eyes narrowing. "Leave me alone."

"So they cast you out? That's no way to treat a dragonet."

"I don't care," said the dragonet, more adamantly this time. "Leave me alone." She breathed in deeply.

Auklet took a step forward. The bioluminescent scales under her neck and over her shoulders lit up, caressing a green glow over the ground. It was a risk exposing herself like this.

"Now you can see me. I mean no harm to you. I-"

The dragonet whirled around quickly. The green glow revealed the hostility in her face and she sprung forward, her jaw widened. The dragonet emitted a hoarse breath.

A wave of coldness washed past Auklet. Frostbreath - an icewing - icewing dragonet.

Auklet looked down at herself. The frostbreath missed her, instead freezing a line of moss on the ground and the side of a bush.

The dragonet breathed heavily, turning to the side again. "I missed, just like with everything I do in my life," she said. "That was a warning; leave me alone." She staggered slightly and her left talon wobbled.

Sitting down, the dragonet held her left shoulder, and when she lifted her wing, Auklet caught a glimpse of the problem. The dragonet was injured, hurt, bleeding, and the longer she looked, Auklet realised that the wound was dark, blue with streams of shiny, fresh blood alongside dark, dry streams.

"How long have you had that wound?" Auklet pressed.

The dragonet narrowed her eyes again and dropped her wing to cover view of the wound. "Five days."

"Five days!" She almost cried, if not for covering her mouth. "Have you not eaten? You must eat something or that wound will kill you."

"I'm counting on it."

"That is not something I will allow. I don't care whose dragonet you are, you are going to eat something and heal and keep yourself safe." Auklet spun around and lifted her wings. "I will be back."

"No you won't. Leave me alone!"

But Auklet ignored her and pressed on, transforming back into Stargazer. If she couldn't save Silence's child then maybe she could save this one.

* * *

Auklet returned to the cave before the break of dawn with a lingering pain in her shoulder.

The twins, Coast and Sky were awake, eating fish in the main room. The smell of the fresh catch wafted and Auklet held her grumbling stomach. It had been a long day and night but she had many things on her mind.

She grabbed three fish, two large and one small, and sat next to Coast.

"How did it go?" Coast asked her. Beside him, Sky peeked his head out in a wily smile.

Auklet took one bite, gulped and then breathed slowly. "Not great. Silence will not help us at all. She was a waste of time."

"I see." He leaned closer to her. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"The nightwing threw a pot at me," she said. "Bitter eel."

Yellowfin spat out the bite he took. "What! No one harms you. Do you want me to kill her for you?" He asked all too eagerly.

Bluefin shook his head at his brother. "Killing a nightwing in her own village is a dumb move. You would never get away with it."

Yellowfin snapped at him. "You calling me dumb?"

"Your idea was dumb," he clarified, but Yellowfin wasn't listening.

"Oh here we go. I make one measly suggestion and you go spurt out nonsense."

"It's not nonsense! I'm saying that you come up with so dumb things..."

Meanwhile, Auklet rubbed her forehead. How she had dealt with these two for so long was a big mystery.

Sky crawled closer to her, offering a meagre smile. "I can kill her if you want. I think I'll be good at it."

"No, Sky." The dragonet was eager, though, and suddenly Auklet started to question what stories Coast had been telling him at night.

"What about these two? I can burn them to break them up," he offered.

"They'll sort themselves out. They always do, somehow."

Sky took a spot next to Auklet, watching as the twins bickered. Auklet finished the two fish and clamped the small one in her talon, making her way to the exit.

"Where are you going?" Coast suddenly asked.

"I need to do something. I'll be back," she said.

"And what would that be? You were just out."

"I will be back." Was all she said to him.

She exited the cave and went to find the icewing dragonet she met earlier.

Auklet took extra care this time to watch for any dragons scouting the border but when she spotted none, she dove into the undergrowth and followed the same path she used to cross the glade.

The instant Auklet found her way through the bushes, the dragonet yapped at her, in the exact spot she was left in.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" Her voice was more hoarse this time. Now Auklet knew the dragonet hadn't drank anything for a long time either.

"And I didn't listen." She dragged a clean half of the river fish and presented it forward in her claws. The icewing's brows lifted momentarily and then rolled her eyes. "I'm only here to help you." Auklet threw the fish into the air and it landed at the icewing's talons.

The icewing moved her talon away from from the morsel and gawked questionably at her. "I don't want your help."

Auklet wiped her talons. "Well that's too bad. You're getting my help. I'm not leaving until you eat that fish."

"So if I eat it, you'll leave me alone?" She asked.

"If that's what you truly want, then yes, I'll leave you alone."

The dragonet was hesitant at first, watching Auklet warily as she reached for the fish and drew it closer. She inspected it and then started to nibble away at the flesh between the prickly, glassy bones.

Auklet smiled at herself. The dragonet was eating, perhaps for the first time in a few days - maybe even since she got hurt.

There was a rustle from the branches and bushes from the way Auklet came in and she only heard it when the source of the noise came close. From the dark green foliage came striking blue scales that did not belong.

"Coast!" Auklet almost bellowed. Coast came close to her, breathing as though he arrived in a hurry. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm worried about you. You just flew off. What was I supposed to do, let you off without any explanation?" Coast asked. "What are you doing here?"

Auklet glanced at the dragonet, who stopped eating and stared at her and Coast. "Don't worry, this is my husband."

"Hmph." The dragonet resumed eating, seemingly unphased.

Coast gaped at the small icewing and leaned towards Auklet. "Do you know who that is?" he asked in a whisper. "That's Princess Silver, Queen Mist's daughter."

"Really?" Auklet smiled at the surprise. "Interesting." The daughter of her enemy...right there, within the virtual grasp of her talons. What she could do with this dragonet - she could make the ice kingdom fall to a bow the second she announced that she had their only heir.

Yet, Auklet could not actually fathom doing that.

Instead, she felt herself soften at the sight of the dragonet. Her anger could not be projected onto Silver, as hard as she tried.

Silver was hurt - there was no doubt about that. Both physically and mentally. Someone didn't want her. Someone threw her out. Either Mist didn't want the competition or responsibility of her heir, or someone else did.

It was cruel to act such a way to a young dragon.

And Auklet had another idea. "We're keeping her." She said, her eyes still on Silver.

Coast stuttered something. Whatever point he had to get across Auklet didn't want to comprehend. She ambled closer to Silver.

"I know being a princess is tough, Silver," Auklet said.

Silver, having finished the fish, had started licking her talons. She threw a skeptical grunt at her. "I doubt it."

"No, really. I was once a princess, perhaps a lot more like you, well, maybe not in this particular circumstance."

Silver stared at her, really stared at her, examining Auklet from talon to teeth. "Who are you?"

"I am Queen Auklet of the Seawings, Princess Silver," she addressed correctly. "I cannot believe that someone dragons like your parents have treated you like this. Your mother is the queen, I know, but even she has no right to abandon an icewing princess such as yourself."

Silver glanced at her talons and said softly. "She doesn't."

"No, I didn't think so," she said. "You could come with me."

"With you?"

"Mhm. I'm not your parent but I'd wager I could treat you better. I could even show you how to be a princess. A real princess. Not some silly dragon dancing with gems but how to lead her tribe to a better and brighter future. And how to really treat her heirs, should the time come."

"But I never wanted to be a princess. I just wanted to be normal."

"I understand. I don't have to show you anything if you don't want to know, but I know you'll always be capable of leading your tribe," Auklet said. "Well, what do you think?"

There was a short period of silence, and then Silver responded.

"OK, I'll come with you."


End file.
